


safekeeping

by kiyala



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Gen, Jaegercon Bingo, Max POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-06
Updated: 2013-08-06
Packaged: 2017-12-22 14:57:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/914558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Max likes Chuck's uniform. He doesn't like Chuck's Ranger suit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	safekeeping

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my "uniforms" square for [Jaegercon Bingo](http://jaegercon.tumblr.com/post/57225250646/).

Max likes the feel of Chuck's uniform, soft and worn and familiar. He likes the smell of Chuck's leather jacket, of his shoes. He likes the metal dog tags that Chuck sometimes dangles above Max's head, warm when they touch his nose, from where they've been sitting against Chuck's heart.

Max loves Chuck a lot, and that's why he doesn't like it when Chuck changes out of his uniform and into his Ranger suit instead. There's a sharper smell to it, fear and determination and uncertainty. Max doesn't when Chuck wears the suit because it means he's going away and when he comes back, he always smells like blood and oil and the big machine that always goes wherever they do, like an oversized shadow.

This time especially, Max is extremely unhappy. Everything feels wrong. Chuck isn't his usual confident self and even when he walks, it's different. He walks just as fast as usual but the bounce isn't there. He doesn't drag his feet, but Max can't help but feel that Chuck wants to.

"C'mere, Max." Chuck stops in front of his room and crouches down. He takes his dog tags off and dangers them over Max's head, like usual. Max presses his nose to them. They're warm. With a sad smile, Chuck touches Max's collar and tucks the tags into it, wrapping the chain around and around to had it in place. 

"You keep these safe for me, alright? Good boy. Go find dad."

If Chuck seems unhappy, Herc is even worse. He's still wearing his soft, comfortable uniform and Max presses his face into it, wagging his tail a little. Maybe it's a false alarm. If Herc's not wearing his suit, Chuck shouldn't be wearing his either. Maybe he'll change back out of it.

But Max is wrong and when Herc walks him to see Chuck, still in his suit, this feels all wrong. It doesn't feel like Chuck's usual, _see you in a bit, Max_.

Max waits anyway, because he's not the puppy that used to chew on Chuck's boots and sleep on his jacket any more. He's older. He's patient. He's holding onto Chuck's dog tags for him.

Everyone is happy, but Herc is sad. Chuck is usually back by now and Max is confused. Max doesn't like this. He sleeps on Chuck's jacket again, until Herc finds him and, alarmingly, begins to cry. Max waddles over to where he's collapsed against the wall, face covered by his hand, and tries to comfort Herc. He licks Herc's hand and his cheek, salty with tears. He burrows his face into Herc's chest because he's sad too. Herc pats him, scratches under Max's collar, and that's when he finds the dog tags.

"What have you got here?" Herc asks, untying them, and when he sees what he's holding, the look on his face makes Max feel horrible.

Max whines quietly and Herc closes his fingers around the tags, pulling Max even closer and hugging him hard.

Max buries his face into the soft, worn material of Herc's uniform, and waits for Chuck to come home.


End file.
